Woman smashes bluefin tuna record

A woman angler caught a record-breaking Pacific bluefin tuna north of New Zealand during the country’s National Tournament on 19 February.

Weighing in at 412kg, Donna Pascoe’s, 56, momentous catch near the Three Kings Islands has made her the new holder of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle world record for Pacific bluefin tuna.

It is also is said to be the largest of its kind ever caught with a rod and reel, let alone a female angler.

According to Marlinmag.com, this old-time angler has surpassed the latest record held by fellow countryman Nathan Adams whose 2012 catch was a 335kg tuna.

She was quoted proudly exclaiming that her catch was made “even better because it [beat] all the boys.”

Pascoe has also been awarded the women’s (130lb) line class record for this species of fish, and according to the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, she caught the largest fish ever recorded by a female angler in the country.

The 56-year-old shared that she almost lost all of her 60-lb line in her spool when the massive tuna started to pull during the morning of the competition.

While she had no clue what fish it was when it first struck, it took her a little over four hours to haul the tuna onto the boat amidst strong winds and crashing waves.

Strangely, Pascoe has plans to stuff the world-record catch and have it mounted up in her home as a keepsake instead of selling it for a hefty cash reward.